Marcel iron



E CLEIN MARCEL IRON Nov. 30, 1937.

Filed April 21, 1936 INVENTQR E/lb s C/eln & ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 21,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to hair waving and curling irons of the type known as Marcel irons and has reference particularly to improvements in the pivoted arrangements connecting the tongs of such irons.

Curling irons of this character are usually constructed with a fixed pivotal connection between the tongs, which necessarily assume an angular position relative only to each other when engaged over the strands of hair to be waved and curled, and which cannot function with equal pressure throughout their effective length, because the angle of the tongs in clamped position is determined by the thickest portion of the hair being engaged and any less heavy strands on 0pposite sides of the thick portion are either entirely free of the effective pressure of the tongs or are so lightly engaged that only a very weak wave or curl is produced.

With the foregoing in mind it is the purpose of the present invention to overcome this fault and to utilize an automatically adjustable pivotal connection between the tongs, whereby the operation of clamping the latter upon the hair automatically moves the tongs into substantially parallel positions relative to each side of the strand of hair being engaged and enables the operator to evenly distribute the pressure of the tongs throughout their effective length.

One embodiment of my invention is described in the following specification, set forth in the appended claims and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a substantially longitudinal sectional View of a curling iron showing the mandrel and clamping member in normal closed position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the iron showing the pivotal connection between the tongs so adjusted as to increase the clamping and effective length of the iron;

Figure 3 is a substantially transverse sectional view of the pivotal connection taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the curling iron comprises a pair of tongs, one thereof being a solid, cylindrical metal rod or mandrel ID, the outer end of which is beveled in the approved manner, while the mid-portion is flattened and joins an offset handle or grip H. The flattened portion is designated [2 and is provided with a rectangularly shaped slot 13, the major axis of which is disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of the mandrel. Arranged in the slot I3 is a helical spring 14, one end thereof abutting the end of the slot and the other end engaging 1936, Serial No. 75,643

a block l5 slidably carried in the slot. The side of the block l5 facing the adjacent end of the slot i3 is grooved transversely thereof to loosely embrace the mid-portion of a pivot pin IS.

The pivot pin I6 is carried by the other tong which is a clamping member I! and consists of a semi-cylindrical length of metal adapted to embrace the mandrel [0, a divided mid-portion between the spaced walls 18 of which the flattened portion I2 is disposed, and an offset handle or grip portion I9. The handle 19 is arranged opposite the other handle II and the pin it is fixed at its ends in the spaced walls I8.

To assemble the curling iron the spring Hi and block I5 are placed in the slot l3 and the mandrel end ID of the tong is inserted in the semicylindrical portion of the clamping member I! where openings 20 in the walls l8 are aiined with the groove in the block I5. The pivot pin 16 is then inserted in the passage and upset at its ends. It should be noted that the axis of the pin I6 is not disposed in the longitudinal axis of the clamping member but is arranged on the side of the latter axis opposite that occupied by the other spring 14.

In operation, the grips H and I9 are separated and the mandrel l0 and clamping member I! move apart at an angle having its initial apex in the axis of the pivot pin I6. The hair to be waved is placed about the mandrel. and the clamping member is brought down upon the hair by gripping the handles and exerting pressure to bring them together. Ordinarily the clamping action would cease when the hair is brought into contact with the clamping member, but in accordance with the present invention, continued movement of the handles towards each other is possible in order to increase the clamping pressure between mandrel and clamping member. Beyond the point where the clamping member and mandrel are substantially coaxial in closed position, the block I5 begins to move automatically through the slot l3 and against the spring [4 until the clamping member and mandrel have accommodated themselves to the thickness of the hair throughout the length of the iron. The pressure then exerted upon the hair is substantially uniform over the entire effective length of the tongs.

What I claim is:

1. In a curling iron, the combination of a mandrel having a transversely slotted mid-portion and a clamping member having its mid-portion embracing the slotted mid-portion of the mandrel, a pivot pin carried by the clamping member 55 and projecting through said slot, and a spring in the slot to exert yieldable pressure against the pm.

2. In a curling iron, the combination of a mandrel having a transversely slotted mid-portion and a grip, a clamping member embracing the mandrel at its mid-portion and having a grip opposite the first grip, a pivot pin carried by the clamping member and disposed loosely in the slot of the mandrel, a block movable in said slot and engaging the pin, and a spring in the slot to exert yieldable pressure against said block.

3. In a curling iron, the combination of a mandrel having a transversely slotted mid-portion and a clamping member having its mid-portion embracing the slotted mid-portion of the mandrel, a pivot pin carried by the clamping member and projecting through said slot, a block movable in said slot and a spring arranged in said slot to exert yieldable pressure against said block, the latter being grooved transversely to loosely embrace the pivot pin and. to form a floating 10 bearing for the same.

ELIAS CLEIN. 

